Any good B&M stores in the Philadelphia area?

DBSTrader2 · November 16, 2008 10:37AM

I've been out of the loop so long I haven't kept up with who's still out there & who's gone out of business, much less kept track of the good vs the bad ones.

Can anyone from the Phila area make some recommendations as to GOOD B&M stores nearby?

Thanks!

- - Dave

JohnMaben · November 16, 2008 11:03AM

It isn't like years ago when Sil DiGenova and I were at 1811 Chestnut. Nearly all of the coin shops in town have moved out to the burbs except Catherine Bullowa.
Grab a yellow pages, the bigger ads usually have inventory, but some like Delaware Valley RC would generally require an appointment if you want to
come in and look. Smaller outfits would be more informal but it's also going to be slim pickins. Some of the City shops relocated to the NJ
suburbs, about 20-30 minutes from downtown. I was born in Philly and lived in that area until the early 90's....
Happy hunting!
John

lope208 · November 16, 2008 11:07AM

Yikes, I've lived here for over 2 1/2 yrs now and there's not a whole heck of a lot it seems.

John's absolutely right that most of them are in the suburbs. The shop I tend to frequent because of location is Edelman's in Jenkintown, PA. I don't go too often anymore though because the inventory doesn't seem to refresh that often. I think they are bigger into the jewelry.

lope208 · November 16, 2008 11:08AM

John, wish you were still on Chestnut...just a few blocks from my office!

JohnMaben · November 16, 2008 11:19AM

Yes, we opened TIA in the Belgravia around 1984. Philly Stamp & Coin was across the street at 1804 Chestnut, but I understand they too, have departed the city.
Dutkin's left many years ago also. Both are in NJ as far as I know.

John

jonathanb · November 16, 2008 2:19PM

FWIW, I was in Philly over the summer with an unexpected hour or two to kill, and I dropped in at Catherine Bullowa. That was a mistake. Not a terrible mistake, but still a mistake. Her store is really more of an office. It's on some upper floor of an office building with a guard in the lobby. I talked myself past the guard without trying very hard, and happened to catch her in her office, which apparently was unusual in itself. She and her daughter (?) were very pleasant but they're clearly NOT set up for drop-ins. Do yourself (and them) a favor, and call before showing up.

DBSTrader2 · November 16, 2008 3:45PM

I used to work downtown Philly, but now mostly telecommute. As of about 1/2 a year ago, the Philly Stamp and Coin was still at 1804 Chestnut - - did they just happen to leave the city VERY recently?

There used to be coin dealers at what used to be the BAZAAR in Clifton Heights, too - - also long gone..............

Sad state of affairs.................

jhdfla · November 16, 2008 6:48PM

I used to live in South Jersey but I've been gone about 4 years. There used to be two I remember in Jersey, one in Vineland on the main drag there, and the other in Pitman on the back road to Glassboro. Have no idea if they are still there, but if you can pick up a Jersey directory I'm sure you can find them.

john

ernie11 · November 16, 2008 6:49PM

<< <i>I used to work downtown Philly, but now mostly telecommute. As of about 1/2 a year ago, the Philly Stamp and Coin was still at 1804 Chestnut - - did they just happen to leave the city VERY recently?

There used to be coin dealers at what used to be the BAZAAR in Clifton Heights, too - - also long gone..............

Sad state of affairs.................

>>

Yes, they moved out of 1804 Chestnut just a few months back. Moved to Collingwood, NJ, across the river.

DBSTrader2 · November 17, 2008 4:58AM

Shame........

Every time I went there & had to get "buzzed" in, it reminded me of my days as a kid visiting my late grandparents at their rowhouse on the 300 block of S. 16th St, and how they had a similar buzzer entry system.

We used to take trips walking down past what's now the Gallery to the smelters to search thru coffee cans of junk silver dimes and quarters for dates to fill my Whitman blue folders. If only I had the foresight to expand my collection back then beyond Mercury & Roosie dimes & Jefferson quarters into the Barbers or halves & dollars - - 4 times face was "too rich already" for me at the time as a 7-year-old.....

...... My grandparents are (sadly) long gone, their neighborhood has since been "gentrified", and time marches on ...............

yellowjacket · November 17, 2008 5:24AM

What about Delaware Valley Rare Coins in Broomall, PA off of I-376?

Garrow

DBSTrader2 · November 17, 2008 5:50AM

Do they have any "Junk Bins"?

SanctionII · November 17, 2008 6:37AM

Try a certain jewlery store located in jewlers row owned and operated by the Switt family.

It is apparently very messy, but some people have said that some very, very PQ rare gold coins have been found there or is some safe deposit boxes the Switts have

Any good B&M stores in the Philadelphia area?

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Any good B&amp;M stores in the Philadelphia area?

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Any good B&M stores in the Philadelphia area?